—Photo by Ann Privateer, Davis, CA
WORKING ON THE OLD SHACK ON THE PIER
—Michael H. Brownstein, Chicago, IL
We are fine with water,
sun sweat,
solar scars,
the angst of brick against knee,
wood splinters into shins,
sun heat,
solar bruise,
but here there is water.
—Photo by Ann Privateer
NOTORIOUS
—Ann Privateer
Infamy slow walks
Unhurried, with promise
To life's classic song.
It knows no boundaries
No compliment or dig
It finds you unexpectedly
While you're out, washing the car
Snoozing in the hammock
Or anomalously undressing.
—Photo by Ann Privateer
HOW TO DESTROY A SIX-DECADE ALLIANCE
—Rhony Bhopla, Sacramento, CA
Our Tweeter-in-Chief likes to prod and poke
Now, Turkey’s turn, but they’re wrong to provoke
NATO, or not-o, you say tomato, we say what—Oh!
Turkey, second largest military force, of the 29 NATO
We want them to be strong, because they fight ISIS
Yet, this latest tariff tantrum, risks our military bases
Turkey loves our jets, they’ve got a couple of F-35s
The President forgets—there, we have military lives
Give us Pastor Brunson, you say, the American detainee—
Ha, of course! Just a few months away from Midterms, you see
Human rights, you say, we cannot allow this violation
However, leveraging economic power is a risky proposition
Now the pattern has been put into motion:
The U.S. is not a trustworthy business nation.
Turkey’s economy and lira were failing to begin with
So, what you are saying, the weak are best to punish?
Turkey is just one country that borders the Black Sea.
Yet, it bridges dictator zeal and free-world democracy
Russia makes rings-around-the-rosie, about the Black Sea
Putin, again, holds hands with Trump, the devotee
Keep up the political dispute, Trump and Erdogan of Turkey
Poof. All gone via tweets, hopes of diplomacy.
—Photo by Caschwa, Sacramento, CA
BECAUSE MARS IS TOO COLD
—Caschwa
The only obstacles still in my path
being reasonable doubt and
preponderance of the evidence,
I can still sing in the bath
about the indisputable certainty
that someone will win the Lottery!
Of course the first choice to make
will be the location of my palatial
estate, warm and soothing, perfect
outdoor grilling for my daily steak
plenty of women for my harem
if the dress code doesn’t scare ‘em
The Arctic Circle will be the location,
expected to be ice free by the year 2040
now is the time to place low bids
for the site of my ideal vacation
home, if there’s still life in my body then,
there’s really no telling what will happen…
—Photo by Caschwa
ON THE STAND
—Caschwa
Called as a percipient witness
in a criminal trial to corroborate
the testimony of other people
who swear on a stack of bibles
as tall as a church steeple
then go tell lies and elaborate
Counsel presents me as if I am a savant
genius, substandard in almost every regard
except spitting out just those facts that one
side of a dispute wants to have heard;
I saw the car license glimmering in the sun,
reading it usually easy, that time too hard
Wasn’t in court to be judged, but damn
if I’m not most zealously compared
to that rare element of perfection
as if I’m a digital, high megapixel camera
and nothing should miss my detection,
not even tattoos on arms that aren’t bared.
—Caschwa
Called as a percipient witness
in a criminal trial to corroborate
the testimony of other people
who swear on a stack of bibles
as tall as a church steeple
then go tell lies and elaborate
Counsel presents me as if I am a savant
genius, substandard in almost every regard
except spitting out just those facts that one
side of a dispute wants to have heard;
I saw the car license glimmering in the sun,
reading it usually easy, that time too hard
Wasn’t in court to be judged, but damn
if I’m not most zealously compared
to that rare element of perfection
as if I’m a digital, high megapixel camera
and nothing should miss my detection,
not even tattoos on arms that aren’t bared.
—Photo by Caschwa
MARCHING ORDERS
—Caschwa
Summer rain falls upwards
piercing clouds that shield the truth,
words of elders copied from bards
stay hushed at the kissing booth
keep it simple, make stupid rules
no one will know any better,
be stingy with land, hand out money to fools
fancy capitalize each letter
gather in your inside pocket
bulging boulders of hard evidence,
it’s the heartfelt inscription on a locket
that sets apart true gents
—Photo by Caschwa
NO EMOTION
—Caschwa
The palace guard is known for
taking the ultimate verbal abuse
and not letting it shorten their fuse
under a monarch of only
the purest noble blood
we peons are just mud
our master’s whims are laws
they throw dirt like a tractor
humane is not a factor
but wasn’t our big revolution
supposed to correct all of that,
give citizens a fair shake at the drop of a hat?
Somehow most of our major decisions
are still left to a minority of great land barons,
snowy egret wannabes, gray feathers of herons.
—Photo by Caschwa
SQZ OVR & OVR
—Caschwa
Mk rm 4 a ffth vrse
evry lttr csts me $
cmmn ¢s prevls
B gd, a cup of hny
_______________________
Today’s LittleNip:
CLIMBING
—Ann Privateer
It's everything
Or methodically
Nothing, so
Make up your mind.
_____________________
Our thanks to this morning’s fine roundtable of poets & photogs, reminding us of this ’n that, including our Seed of the Week: Summer Rain.
Poetry readings in our area begin tonight at 7:30pm at Sac. Poetry Center with Tim Kahl, Buddydigital and open mic, plus Stuart Canton will read from his new chapbook from little m press, A Field Guide for the Coming Extinction.
Poetry Unplugged at Luna’s Cafe meets in Sacramento on Thursday at 8pm, with featured readers and open mic.
Then on Saturday, Writers on the Air meets at SPC from 9:30am-1pm, presenting TJ (aka Brother Hypnotic) and Elaine Fine plus open mic. On Saturday afternoon from 2-4pm, Poetic License poetry read-around meets at Placerville Sr. Center. The suggesting topic for this month is “cupid”, but other subjects are also welcome. Scroll down to the blue column (under the green column at the right) for info about these and other upcoming poetry events in our area—and note that more may be added at the last minute.
—Medusa
Celebrate poetry—and questions!
Photos in this column can be enlarged by clicking on them once,
then click on the X in the top right corner to come back
to Medusa.